Among the actors present, there was no one who didn’t know Joo Seo-yeon.
Recently, the most talked-about movie was The Chaser.
And as a youth drama, Dream Future surpassed a 20 percent viewership rating.
Even if she had only appeared in one of them, it would have caught attention, but she was in both.
And not in minor roles either.
Both productions garnered attention for various reasons, all stemming from her acting.
“But ordinary acting is different from action acting.”
Even while thinking that, the performances she displayed in films and dramas were something one simply couldn’t do without exceptional athletic ability.
In the case of The Chaser, they said a stunt double did some of the scenes, but Dream Future was something else entirely.
“Ran all the way here? What a funny joke.”
Min Do-ha muttered in a small voice.
It wasn’t exactly meant to be heard by anyone, but it was surprisingly clear due to the utter silence.
“Well, considering she said she ran five stops…”
“Doesn’t look tired at all, does she?”
“Not even a drop of sweat.”
Was she just trying to show off how good her stamina is?
The actors subtly shifted their gaze.
Cameras were set up all around.
It was highly likely that the footage from this meeting would later air on a variety show.
If it were a broadcast station, they would cut any remarks that could damage her image, but there was a chance that cable would air the raw footage as-is.
So it was best to tread carefully with words.
“Well, I guess that’s possible.”
Seo-yeon didn’t disagree with their thoughts.
She had been aware of her exceptional physical abilities since childhood.
…Actually, sometimes it felt excessive to a degree.
There were times she thought the world itself felt different.
But unlike Seo-yeon,
“Oh my, isn’t it a bit misguided to brush off what you can’t do as a joke?”
Jo Seo-hee, seated beside Seo-yeon, laughed softly.
It was another one of those comments that were technically intended for no one to hear, but naturally, no one in this quiet space could miss it.
“What the…”
Min Do-ha frowned and turned her gaze toward Seo-hee.
“Why?”
She stammered, unable to utter a single word under Seo-hee’s sharp gaze.
After all, their ranks as actors were different.
Seo-hee herself was close to several veteran actors and had many allies at the broadcasting network.
Rumor had it that she was the third generation of a wealthy family.
In many ways, she seemed to come from a well-off background.
The confidence emanating from her was indeed a significant pressure for Min Do-ha and the other actors.
“…Can’t even do action acting, huh?”
At the same time, she was notoriously known for being unable to perform any form of physical acting.
So it was strange for her to even be here.
However, when Min Do-ha considered challenging that, she couldn’t bring herself to face Seo-hee’s piercing gaze.
Seo-hee’s background was irrelevant; she was simply overwhelmed by that frigid aura and appearance.
Didn’t movie or drama villains look like that?
Even though she must be younger, it felt like facing a snake.
“You…”
Just as Seo-hee was about to continue her thought, Seo-yeon poked her side with a finger.
Wondering what was going on, Seo-yeon gestured towards the cameras.
“Hmm.”
To be honest, she hadn’t done anything to stand out on camera.
Seo-hee was merely pointing out Min Do-ha’s narrow-minded comment.
At least that’s how it would appear.
But knowing Seo-hee’s nature, she certainly wanted to completely stomp down on Min Do-ha here.
“I get it.”
Thinking that Seo-yeon was being considerate made her feel a bit better.
In the past, she wouldn’t have cared at all.
With Seo-hee’s once-sharp gaze softening, the other actors finally exhaled.
It felt like watching a trainer tame a fearsome cobra with just a flute.
‘Are they friends?’
‘What kind of relationship do they have? They seem quite close…’
‘Surely they haven’t appeared in the same project before?’
The actors’ analyses were largely accurate.
Indeed, nothing had happened!
Of course, from Seo-hee’s perspective, she didn’t have a friendly impression of Seo-yeon for no reason.
Seo-yeon had been the first actress of her peer to captivate her with acting.
She was simply a fan who had genuinely fallen for Seo-yeon’s performance.
Feelings of joy from seeing Seo-yeon return after a long wait mixed together…
‘…Even with that, I don’t quite understand.’
As Seo-yeon shook her head while pondering Seo-hee’s behavioral patterns, she felt a burden from Seo-hee, the friend who sought her out.
It felt like being stickily attached by a fierce dog, thinking it was being friendly…
It bit and tore into anyone, making it extremely difficult.
Hadn’t she been known for being sociable? Why was it like this?
‘Not to mention her looks…’
She resembled a character from a horror comic she saw online.
Very pretty, yet somehow eerie. What was it? Tommy… something?
That name vaguely came to mind.
While Seo-yeon was lost in thought, other actors who arrived a bit late began to take their seats one by one.
The gathered actors exchanged tense glances.
“First of all, it looks like everyone has arrived.”
They smiled warmly at the people seated and waiting in the room.
He was a man with a gentle impression.
However, the actors widened their eyes.
Not without reason; he was Cha Min-kyu, one of Korea’s leading action stars.
Beside him stood a middle-aged man.
“I’m Lee Ki-tae. I’m the producer for this hyper-action project.”
He introduced himself while looking around the room.
“First off, let me say that a total of one hundred actors are participating in this hyper-action.”
At the mention of a hundred, the actors stirred excitedly.
“This is Group A. There are five groups in total, with twenty actors in each.”
He explained the general rules of the hyper-action.
It’s not about collaborating on something.
Instead, only the five outstanding contestants would move on to the next round.
‘So, auditions will be conducted by group?’
Seo-yeon looked at the twenty-five participants.
Confused faces.
It seemed the meetings would be organized by groups.
In other words, the competitors for now were the twenty-five members of Group A.
From among them, the judges would select five who left a strong impression through missions.
In the final round, twenty actors who passed the preliminary round would compete.
‘If there are a hundred, it surely won’t be filled with just actors.’
Seo-yeon had memorized most notable actors.
More specifically, she knew them through her past life’s memories.
However, seeing unfamiliar faces mixed in meant that many stunt actors were likely included as well.
Actors participating in hopes of becoming action stars.
Among them were many she had seen at the Cheonghong Action School.
Even if they weren’t cast in the film, merely becoming known on a variety show would offer ample opportunities.
Actresses confident in their athleticism must have flocked here.
Mainly those who desperately sought recognition.
Therefore, the auditions would be even more competitive.
“The missions will officially start once filming begins…”
Producer Lee Ki-tae trailed off.
“Since we’ve gathered here, let’s have a light taste of what’s to come.”
A taste test?
Everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
At that moment.
The dark room brightened.
More accurately, all the blinds went up, revealing the previously concealed windows.
“….Ropes?”
Someone muttered.
And just like that, ropes were laid out in front of the windows.
“This is rappel action.”
It was Cha Min-kyu, who had been standing next to Lee Ki-tae, who spoke up.
“It often appears in movies like Mission Impossible. The action of descending using ropes.”
Of course, no one here didn’t know about it.
However, they were currently on the third floor.
This meant they were expected to showcase rappel action by descending from the third floor.
Underprepared mentally, it wouldn’t be easy to attempt that right away.
“Today’s meeting ends here. You can either take the elevator or stairs down from here.”
However, this ‘hyper-action’ is a variety show.
All these scenes were being filmed through cameras.
If public voting came into play later, everything will be evaluated.
Acting ultimately had to leave a strong impression on viewers.
“Now then, Cha-ssi, I’m counting on you.”
At that, Lee Ki-tae’s words made Cha Min-kyu nod.
He equipped himself with basic safety gear and glanced down from the window.
Of course, there were safety measures in place in case he should fall.
At the height of the third floor.
The moment he stood at the window, Cha Min-kyu’s previously calm expression sharply transformed.
Like a seasoned elite agent.
‘Acting.’
Everyone thought the same, as Cha Min-kyu descended the rope like a trained agent.
His skilled form caused the other actors to admire in unison.
It wasn’t simply about going down; what mattered was…
‘How intense the display is.’
He had to showcase a character.
That was something Cha Min-kyu demonstrated with his very actions.
“Now then, who would like to go first?”
In response to Lee Ki-tae’s words, the first to raise her hand was Min Do-ha.
With a confident expression, she surveyed the others.
“I’ll go first.”
She was confident.
Especially in rappel action.
Her hobby was bungee jumping, and she had previous experience with similar stunts.
She donned the equipment skillfully and approached the window, showing no sign of fear.
She resembled the elite agents that Cha Min-kyu had just shown.
“Oh, and let me just mention.”
As she was about to jump, Lee Ki-tae unexpectedly added.
“By the way, the movie we’re filming this time features superpowers.”
Superpowers?
Hearing Lee Ki-tae’s words, Min Do-ha momentarily panicked.
What kind of superpowers?
He didn’t specify.
It was as if he were saying to imagine and act according to whatever came to mind.
‘No, no way.’
Min Do-ha shook her head.
What could she show for superpowers while doing rappel action?
‘Ugh!’
It’s incredibly challenging to display superpowers in front of a large audience.
Without special effects or any CG work, demonstrations of superpowers or magic would simply come off as ridiculous.
Only imagination.
That was all she had to express, and since she had no time to conceive any superpower idea, she decided to focus solely on showcasing her rappel action instead.
With that thought, she jumped from the window.
“Wow!”
The sight of her made the other actors gasp in admiration.
Inside the room, Min Do-ha’s rappel descent was broadcasted on the TV screen.
While her performance might not have reached Cha Min-kyu’s level, she showed great skill.
“Hm……”
Lee Ki-tae, watching her, nodded with a peculiar expression.
“Alright then, who’s next?”
At Lee Ki-tae’s prompt, the actors exchanged cautious glances.
They couldn’t even think of what superpower they could act out while jumping down.
‘If I go now, I’ll surely be compared to Min Do-ha.’
‘If I do, it has to be after a performer who’s not as good…’
Most of their thoughts aligned.
Just as Seo-hee was about to raise her hand, she exclaimed.
“I’ll do it.”
Joo Seo-yeon stepped forward.
All eyes turned to her.
Compared to the tall and slender Min Do-ha, Seo-yeon’s physique seemed petite.
Some felt a sense of relief.
Honestly, Seo-yeon didn’t have the appearance of someone who would excel in action acting.
Seo-yeon took a moment to look down at the ground below.
If she fell, there was a plush air mat prepared to cushion her landing.
Seeing that, she gradually stepped back from the window.
“Seo-yeon-ssi?”
Lee Ki-tae asked, puzzled by Seo-yeon’s demeanor.
It made sense; Seo-yeon hadn’t even hooked up her rappel safety gear yet.
No, she hadn’t even grabbed the rope.
‘Could she be avoiding it out of fear?’
Just as that thought coursed through everyone.
“Eh?”
Someone muttered absently.
Suddenly, Seo-yeon began sprinting towards the window.
Grabbing the window frame, she leaped down.
From the third floor.
*
“What superpowers were you thinking of when you jumped?”
Cha Min-kyu, who had landed first, asked Min Do-ha.
Unable to answer adequately, she struggled.
She hadn’t jumped down, thinking about any superpowers.
So she replied, “I was… um… marksmanship? Ah, like having exceptional eyesight… something along those lines.”
As she recalled a superhero movie, Cha Min-kyu nodded.
It was a fairly clever response.
If she had good eyesight, she wouldn’t have needed any special acting for the rappel scene.
“Then, it would’ve been better to showcase that extraordinary eyesight before descending.”
“…Yes.”
Min Do-ha replied while biting her lower lip.
A painful blunder.
As she sighed, something suddenly flew into the air and landed on the air mat.
And with a bounce, she landed cleanly.
She then stared at the air mat with a slightly dissatisfied expression.
As if she thought it would have been better if there hadn’t been one…
‘Joo Seo-yeon?’
In reality, it was nothing short of ridiculous.
While three floors isn’t considered extremely high, it’s certainly a height from which a person could get hurt significantly.
Not to mention.
‘Did she just jump down like that?’
Min Do-ha gasped.
Seo-yeon had no safety gear on at all.
‘No, that’s not rappel action!’
Even Cha Min-kyu looked taken aback.
Yet, the courage she showed to jump trusting the air mat was impressive.
After all, even if it wasn’t rappel action, getting down somehow would have been enough.
“What… kind of superpower were you thinking of when you jumped?”
When she asked Seo-yeon what she had previously queried Min Do-ha, Seo-yeon, who had been looking at the air mat, turned her head.
“……!”
In that moment, Cha Min-kyu flinched at the gaze Seo-yeon gave.
Her crimson eyes.
It looked just like Cha Seo-ah from The Chaser, which he had seen not long ago.
A chilling atmosphere radiated from Seo-yeon.
Acting.
He could sense that everything happening now was part of her performance.
And Seo-yeon, enjoying Cha Min-kyu’s reaction, smiled softly.
“It’s a healing factor.”
It’s that superpower commonly referred to as the ‘Healing Factor’ in superhero films.
So jumping down without safety gear wasn’t a problem at all.
Moreover, Seo-yeon found it easier to act that way than anything else.
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